Every year WWE gives us a handful of moments that are worth cherishing for a long long time. Even in their worst year, the company has managed to keep this record intact and 2014 was something similar.The year as a whole ended up being a big disappointment due to various reasons here and there, but there were a lot of moments that reminded us why we love professional wrestling.Despite all the negatives, 2014 is arguably one of the most significant years in recent history adding more pressure to the year to come. But before we embark on the journey that 2015 has to offer, here is a look back at some of the unforgettable moments that 2014 brought us.
#11 Honorable Mention: Rock escapes the dirt sheets
To make a surprise appearance in professional wrestling these days could be a pain in the rear. A lot of this is because of the internet dirt sheets out there that leak all the spoilers even before they happen.
And if WWE managed to pull off a surprise with all those factors around, then that deserves appreciations. They bought out The Rock from nowhere for an episode of Raw later in 2014 and if that appearance could be described by one word, it would be electric.
The Brahma Bull came down and had big stare down with the Bulgarian Brute. Rusevs career catapulted big time with just one moment while Rock had one another chance to show the fans what they were missing.
#10 Mr. Money in the Bank
The Shield broke up thanks to Rollins knowing what is best for business. What followed afterwards was an adreline filled feud between Ambrose and Rollins which is by far the best storyline that WWE put up this year.
Both men gave out everything they had to make sure that the fans went home happy and the Money in the Bank match turned out to be one of the chapters.
Rollins and Ambrose blew the roof off with their spots in the match. All of that was capped off with a great moment of Rollins winning the briefcase which in turn took his career to a whole new level altogether. The Architect is still enjoying the luxuries of being Mr. Money in the bank and once he cashes in, it will be a different story.
#9 Cena pays a visit to Germany
This is not technically one moment, it is actually 16. The John Cena – Brock Lesnar clash at SummerSlam was expected to be just another regular outing for the fans but what they didn’t expect was a destruction of the Cenation leader.
Cena stepped in between the ropes with a possibility of heading out with his hands held high. Things changed rapidly once the bell rang as Lesnar tore through Cena like a Lion who hasn’t seen meat for years.
The so called ‘Face of WWE’ not only lost his WWE championship, but also was embarrassed big time by the Beast. It’s not every day that you see Cena getting manhandled like this and that’s why this moment deserves a place in the list.
#8 Cesaro is the new Paul Heyman guy
Cesaro came into WWE with a wealth of experience. He was a big shot in the independent scene and impressed the WWE fans in no time with his in ring ability.
The Swiss Superman assured to reach the top at some point and that dreams started materializing when the company gave him a big push at WrestleMania. It started with the breakup of Real Americans at the pay-per-view after which Cesaro went on to win the Andre the Giant memorial battle royal.
The best part was yet to come. In the night that followed, Cesaro was revealed as the new Paul Heyman guy which somewhat cemented the faith that WWE had in him. The rest of the story was forgettable, but Cesaro introducing Heyman as his new manager was indeed a great moment.
#7 Hes got the whole world in his hands
The feud between John Cena and Bray Wyatt would most probably be remembered for the Cenation leader nearly burying Bray. However, it had this one moment where the WWE creative excelled at what they are supposed to do.
They bought out a school choir who sang ‘He’s got the whole world in his hands’, in what proved to be one of ‘the’ most captivating moments that came out this year.
There was a sense of fear among the fans about Bray suffering at the end this feud with Cena, but when those children started singing, everyone paused and took notice of the brilliant layers with which Bray’s character was made up of.
#6 Anti- diva in the divas division
Paige took the NXT women’s division by storm last year and was expected to make a similar impact on the main roster as well. WWE didn’t allow the Brit to carry her Anti- Diva gimmick all the way to the divas division, but they did give her a big debut.
She appeared on the Raw that followed WrestleMania and got herself a title match against AJ Lee who was celebrating her win against the entire divas division.
Almost everything about Paige’s debut was messed up to be frank, but when she won the championship from AJ, things turned upside down. It was WWE’s way of telling that they found a successor to AJ and the win was thoroughly deserved as well.
#5 Yes Yes Yes
The Daniel Bryan – Wyatt Family feud was one of those rare outings of this year that boosted both the parties. Bryan had some great matches with all the members of the Family while the stipulation of Bryan joining the creepy guys made matter more interesting.
Everyone was shocked seeing Bryan in the Wyatt costume even though the team of Bray and Bryan looks mouthwatering.
However, Bryan soon showed his real self when he knocked out Bray Wyatt inside a steel cage and ended his association with the Wyatts. The flying got on top of the cage leading the yes chants was one of the best things we saw this year and guarantees Goosebumps even if we see it know.
#4 Rollins does whats best for business
It would be hard to find a stable that is more successful than the Shield in WWE’s recent history. The collection of three hungry men who wanted to make a mark in the business was perfect for the fans to invest in and they did just that.
They were running hot after two back to back wins against Evolution so when Rollins decided to take a chair and smack Reigns in the back, it went down in the books as one of the well-executed heel turns of 2014.
Rollins not being the typical heel type made the moment more effective and feud that followed proved to be a fitting extension as well. WWE might not be able to.
#3 13 years in the making
Ever since WCW folded thanks to the competition from WWE, the wrestling fans have been buzzing about Sting stepping his foot in Vince McMahon’s promotion.
For one reason or the other, Sting decided to head to TNA instead of choosing WWE and this made the fans wait a 13 more years. There have been numerous rumors about Sting’s debut over that period but the one that really mattered came before Survivor Series.
The icon finally honored the WWE fans with his presence at the pay-per-view and instead of botching; he went on to end the Authority’s run as well. We are not going to see a debut of such magnitude in the years to come and that’s what makes this one extra special.
#2 The Underdog story
Daniel Bryan headlining WrestleMania 30 and getting a clean win over Randy Orton and Batista was a moment that gave Goosebumps to every WWE fan that watched the match.
He didn’t have the body or the looks for being the face of WWE but Bryan managed to break all those stereotypes in 2014, when he reached the top of the mountain. Bryan ended up being the most over face in the company even before this win and it was his storyline with the Authority that sold tickets for the pay-per-view.
His run did go a bit downhill after that but 2014 will always go down in history as the year where a shabby looking bearded guy lived his dream.
#1 End of an era
The legendary unbeaten run of the Phenom came to an end at WrestleMania 30 and is clearly the best moment of the year. Hell, it could even be the best moment of the decade.
No one expected Lesnar to be the one behind twenty one and one so when the referee counted three, the arena erupted in a sheer sense of shock. Taker’s streak ending was all over the internet for the month that followed which underlined the fact that professional wrestling could always go main stream with just one moment like this.
There are still a lot of questions that is to be answered about what the company is planning to do with Taker but one thing is for sure, WrestleMania will not be about Undertaker’s streak after 2014.
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